Distance Education admissions : KU ruffles the feathers of BRAOU

BH Ramakrishna

The row over admissions under distance education mode between B R Ambedkar Open University and Kakatiya University has refused to die down even after Higher Education Council's intervention. Taking the issue seriously, the HEC has formed a committee to probe the matter and trying to formulate some mechanism to avoid recurrence of such issues.

It might be recalled that Kakatiya University, has released its distance education course notification on January 30 in which it has reportedly stated that it will take those students who passed out the BRAOU distance education eligibility test conducted between 2009-12.This has angered the BRAOU, which felt that KU is trying to whisk away its slice of cake. The authorities of BRAOU have lodged a complaint with Higher Education Council (APSCHE) against KU stating that it is unfair and requested to take stern action and rescind the notification of KU.

"Ours is the first open university in the country and our curriculum, methodology and certificates are totally different and certainly of superior to any other university distance education programme. Kakatiya University's notification is highly objectionable. We protested with APSCHE and requested for a directive," Dr Sudhakara Rao, Registrar of BRAOU told The Hans India. "We welcome competition but it should be a healthy one and not at the expense of someone else," he remarked.

It may be mentioned here that BRAOU eligibility test is to be held on April 7 and KU's test to be conducted on April 21. BRAOU suspects KU will embark on a student poaching this time as well. For that reason, it wants a clear-cut demarcation over the intake of state universities with regard to admissions under distance education courses. "Let the local universities confine themselves to their jurisdiction. Why do they want to encroach into other's territory?" Sudhakara Rao asked.

Higher Education Council has learnt to have chided the KU administration over the episode and advised it not to resort to such practice again. But BRAOU wants a logical conclusion to the whole issue. "Today it is KU and tomorrow it will be some other university. So, let there be some guidelines" Sudhakar Rao averred.

In an attempt to fill up their depleting reserves, universities have been trying to attract more and more students. The distance education programmes are one of the revenue-earning resources and every varsity has its own programme. But the problem appears to be decline in number of students taking the state university programmes. Even Osmania University, in its recent annual budget meeting, reported a fall in their income from distance education programmes.